Kee Tisah 5773-2013
"The Vengeful G-d--Revisited" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Kee Tisah, we read of the grave sin of the Golden Calf, a trespass that, despite the…
Metzorah 5774-2014
“The Peddler and Evil Speech” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Metzorah, again addresses the Biblical affliction Tzara’at, צָּרַעַת. Parashat Metzorah teaches…
Mikeitz 5775-2014
“Why Did Joseph, the Viceroy of Egypt, Never Contact His Aged Father?” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Mikeitz, Joseph, the poor Hebrew slave boy who had…
Vayigash 5775-2014
"Joseph Calms His Brothers" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Vayigash, Joseph dramatically reveals himself to his brothers. Scripture reports that Joseph…
Sukkot II 5777-2016
“Why is Sukkot Celebrated in the Fall rather than in the Spring?” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald The Torah, in Leviticus 23:42-43, states, בַּסֻּכֹּת תֵּשְׁבוּ שִׁבְעַת יָמִים; כָּל…
Vayigash 5777-2017
“No ‘Man’ was with Joseph” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Vayigash, the extraordinary story of Joseph and his brothers reaches its dramatic conclusion as…
Yom Kippur 5772-2011
"The Magic of the Day of Atonement" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald The Jewish calendar has an abundance of "propitious" or "favorable" times and occasions. Nissan, the month of Passover, is…
Leading Ahead
The Talmudic sage Rabbi Meir used to say, "Great is repentance, for on account of one true penitent, the entire world is pardoned" (Talmud Yoma 86b). In effect, this…
Naso 5783-2023
“Our Brother, Our Sister--the Proselyte” (updated and revised from Naso 5764-2004) By, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Naso, we learn of an intriguing law…
Weekly Message,Haazinu,Yom Kippur
Haazinu-Yom Kippur 5784
"A Propitious Time for Repentance" (updated and revised from Haazinu 5762-2001) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z Buchwald On Sunday night, September 24th, the tenth of Tishrei, Jews, the world over,…